Car coupler



. July 2z, 1924... 352,146

`C. H. LE COMPTE l CAR coUPLER Filed Feb. 16. 1921 a sheets-sheen 2 '2%67&7,

Patented July 22, 1924.

f Nit .Per .FIsCEV ONESIME H. LE COMPTE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNOR TO LE COMPTE STANDb1 ARD AUTOLIATIC DRAWBAB AND CONNECTORCOMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO,

A COMMON LAW TRUST.

CAR C OUPLER.

Application led February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,471.

T 0 all whom 'it may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, ONEsIME H. .LE COMPTE, a citizen. of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Car Couplers, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to. improvements in combined automatic car andtrain line couplings.

My primary object is to provide means of simple and inexpensiveconstruction Vwhich will operate, with certainty under all ordinaryconditions, to automatically couple cars and simultaneously with thecoupling of the cars make connections in the train lines, such as steampipes for heating, air pipes for signal and brake purposes andconductors in electric light circuits.

A further object isto construct a coupler of the combined car and trainline type in a manner facilitating assemblage, having special regard forthe reducing the repair or upkeep expenses.

A still further object is to construct the car coupling elements and thetrain lline coupling elements as distinct structures and to providemeans for their ready relation which latter means includes devices foradjusting the train line coupling elements with relation to the carcoupling elements in order to set the former elements in positions tofunction properly.

' A still further object is to construct a car coupling comprising arelatively fixed jaw co-operating with a gravity -operating pin both ofwhich have related means to function-without extraneous elements such asprings.

A; still further object is toV provide' a. simple means for connectingthe two pins of connected car couplings for synchronous uncouplingmovement and to provide at least one of the pair of couplings with asimple means for moving its pin to affect uncoupling. Y

WV ith the foregoing objects in view, my improvements consist in thenovel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafterfully, clearly and concisely set forth, definitelypointed out in myclaims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, inj which z' Figurel Vis a plan view of a pair of coulateral face -thejaw 1 is plings, incoupling position, constructedin accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the couplings,Y

as shown in Figure l. Y Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectionalelevation taken on the line 3-3`of Figure l. I

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4 4. of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of 'onev ofthe couplings. y

Figure 6 is atran'sve'rse sectional view taken on the line 6 6 ofFigurel looking in the direction of thearr'ow.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure1 looking a in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 8 is an enlarged, front elevation ofone of the coupling pins.

Figure 9 isa side elevation of pin.

Figure l0 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a single couplinghead and drawbar showing the means for automatically holding the headaligned with the drawbar.

Figure 11 is a plan view showing a head and drawbar as -upon cars whichare relatively non-aligned.

Referring by numerals, to the drawings, A and B designate the heads ofthe coupling,

the coupling which are identical structures and which are preferably ofcast construction and whose designpermits both tobe formed in the samemold with aresultant economy in construction to which is added thefeature that' any coupler of this Vtype may be employed at either end ofany car.

Inasmuch as the two heads are identical I will describe in detail theone head only, as

Y follows Projecting forwardly from the front of the head is a xed jawl, occupying a posisaid jaw is Vformed as ahollow shell, coinprising atop wall 5, a bottom wall 6 and sidewalls 7 and 8.

The vopening 9, formed by the space bef Vtween the base of the jaws1`and the walls 5, 6 and 8, is of substantially the same area andcontour as the jaw 1 and is arranged to receive the jaw of a companioncoupling, and,-,the wall@ is provided with a way 10, of longitudinaltapering formation'for the reception of the rib 4 of the companioncoupling, and by this expedient the two heads are brought to the sameplane when brought together.

Projecting laterally from the base of the jaw toward the wall 8 is astud 11 whose forward upper and lower corners are chamfered andformed'in the inside face of the jaw is a longitudinal channel 12 forthe arcommodation of the stud of the companion coupling, and bypreference the forward lower corner of the channel is chamfered to coactwith the chamfer of the stud 11 io guide the jaw in the head of itscompanion.

Formed through the top and bottom walls 5 and 6, respectively,immediately to the rear of the base of the jaw are the holes 13 and'14,the hole 14 being located wholly to one side of the median line of thehead while vthe hole 13 is' of greater area and extends over, or spans,the median line, as -best shown in Figure 3, and formed in the top wallin advance of the hole 13 is a notch 15.

Formed in the side wall 7 immediately Ato the rear of the holes13 and 14is a slot 16, and formed in the top wall 5 and bottom wall 6 adjacentthe rear, open end of the head are'the relatively aligned holes 1 7 and18.

On the inside faces of the side walls 7 and 8 transversely aligned withthe holes 17 and 18 are the opposite vertical ways 2O and 19.

The holes 13 and 14 are arranged to receive the coupling pin 21,(Figures 8 and 9) whose body or stem is preferably of rectangular ornon-circular section and said stem carries at its inside lateral face alifting stud 22 whose forward lower corner is chamfered for elevation bythe lower, forward chamfer of the channel 12 of the For the same reasonthe pin is provided with a second elevating element, such as 23 arrangedto be moved by impingement with the upper forward corner 24 of the jaw.

At the top the pin is provided with a head 25, which determines itslower limit of movement and projecting forwardly from the head 25 thereis a dowel 26 located to one side of the median line while formed in thehead 25 on the other side vof the median line there is a dowel seat 27.

The pin is further provided with a manipulative element 21a arranged foreXtension through the slot 16.

Formed onV the bottom face of the lower wall 6 of the head there are theparallel guides 28-28, and a stop 29 having a set screw 30, suspendedfrom which guides is a manifold 31, Vformed en-bloc, in which is formeda `plurality of passageways, terminating at their rear ends in laterallypro,- jecting couplings 32 for connection with train lines and at theirforward ends in forwardly projecting gasket couplings for connectionwith similar gasket coupling on a companioii manifold.

T he drawbar 34 comprises a head 35 whose section permits it to beextended freely into the rear open end of the head By this latterexpedient the pin will be cal pable of connecting the head 1 with thedrawbar even though it may be broken within its length.

Extending rearwardly from the head 35 of the drawbar is a bifurcatedstem 41 provided with a contracted mouth 42 at its rear end which isarranged to receive the end 43 of the drawbar proper 44.

The end 43 is provided with shoulders 45 which nt over the reduced mouthof the stem 41 and` serve to connect the drawbar elements in a manner toprevent relative longitudinal movement yet be capable of slight verticalmovement for imparting to the coupling as a whole limited verticalflexibility for,purposes of relatively aligning two coupled couplings tothereby prevent breakage of the pin connections when the coupled carsarer longitudinally out of alignment.

.es shown the forward ends of the. red jaws 1 are inclined rearwardlyand inwardly so that in the event the heads are swung on the pins 37 tonot align with 'the trends of the cars such jaws will coact to swing thecoupler head to relative alignment.

1n Figure 10 l show the upper forward corner of the head 35 of thedrawbar as provided with a cam-chamfer 35a and the coupling head with abevelled rib 35h extended transversely thereof and depending from itsupper wall 5.

By this expedient the coupling head by reason of the beveled rib and thechamfer of the drawbar is gravity actuated to tend toward alignment withthe drawbar and thus facilitate the coupling of two cars and their trainlines.

In the act of coupling two cars equipped with couplers constructed asjust recited,

the chamfers on the jaw 1 engage the charnu fer studs 23 and 22 and thuslift the coupling pin 2l to permit the jaws to enter the heads to apoint where the recesses 2 of the jaws will reside wit-hin the couplerheads and to the rear ofthe coupling pins so that the heads 25 of thepins will be dropped into the jaw recesses 13 and thereby form a doubleor two pin coupling.

Particular attention is drawn to the fact that there are two lockingjaws and two coupling pins and that the pins .are automaticallyoperated7 that is, lifted, by the jaws and fall by gravity to couplingpositions, all without the intervention of springs or other extraneousdevices.

IThe pins and jaws serve to hold the coupled heads against movement inany direction, but by reason of theI pivotal connection, in7 the pins 37the heads have tlexure relative to the drawbars.

An uncoupling is a'ected by an elevation of the coupling. pins, which isaccomplished by lifting the element, or handle, 2l, which by reason ofthe dowel connection between the two pins raises both coupling pins atthe same time thereby releasing both jaws.

An economical advantage arising from the construction of the couplingsas described is that due to the making of the structure in a number ofparts such as the head proper, the pins, and the two part drawbar theassemblage is facilitated and the replacement of broken or damagedpieces much reduced in cost over such couplings as are east or formed inone piece.

What I claim as new is:

l, In a coupling construction, a draw bar, a shell like coupling headprovided with an integral stationary knuckle and carried pivotally andvertically movable by said draw bar, a `gravity actuated locking pinpassing completely through the coupling head, and means forautomatically elevating the locking pin by the knuckle of a companioncoupler during coupling engagement.

2. In a coupling construction, adraw bar, a shell like coupling headprovided withan integral stationary knuckle and carried pivotally andvertically movable by said draw bar, said knuckle having a verticallydisposed recess formed in its inner face and a longitudinally disposedchannel formed in its inner face to provide two bearing surfaces one ofwhich is disposed above the inner end of the longitudinal channel andone below the inner end of the channel, and a vertically movable lockingpin having elements for engaging the said two bearing surfaces of acompanion coupler when two like couplers are in coupled engagement.

3. In a coupler construction, a pair of draw bars each carrying a headmember provided with a pivotal connection with its draw bar affordingalso vertical movement lease said knuckle'member of the companion headmember.

4. ln a coupling construction, a draw bar, a coupling provided with arigid knuckle member and carried pivotally and vertically movable bysaid draw bar, and a vertically movable locking pin having laterallyextending elements adapted for coupling' engagement with a companioncoupler and Y operative when in coupled relation to prevent uncouplingof the couplers.

5. In a coup-ler construction, a draw bar, a coupling head provided witha stationary knuckle member having two bearing surfaces and with aconnection to said draw bar permitting pivotal and vertical movement ofsaid head with reference to said draw bar, and a vertically movablegravity looking pin having laterally extending elements adapted forcoupling engagement with a companion coupler and operative when incoupled relation to prevent uncoupling of the couplers.

6. In a coupler construction, a pair of draw bars each carrying a headmember provided with a coupler element and a vertically movable gravitylocking p-in provided with laterally extending ele-ments carried by eachhead member and adapted for automatic locking engagement with thestationary coupler element of the other head member and said gravitylocking pin pass-Y ing completely thro-ugh each head.

1n a coupler construction, a pair of draw bars each carrying a headmember provided with a stationary integral element having a beveled face'portion and a vertically movable gravity locking pin provided withlaterally extending elements carried by each head member and adapted tobe lifted by engagement with the coupler element of the other headmember and thereafter dropped intorlocked relation therewith.

8. In a coupling construction, a pair of` draw bars each carrying ahollow head, member provided with a pivotal connection with its draw baraffording also vertical movement of the head members, a stationaryknuckle member carried by each of said head members having a verticalrecess and chamfered surfaces, a vertically movable locking pin havinglaterally extending knuckle engaging elements each provided with achamfered surface carried by each head member and passing completelythrough eac-h head membei1 and adapted when in lowered position forcoupling engagement With the knuckle members or' the companion headmember and when in raised position to release thc knuckle member olf thecompanion head member.

9. In a Coupling construction, a drawv bar,

l a shell like coupling head provided with a stationary knuckle having aVertical and a horizontal recess and carried pivotally and verticallymovable by said draw bar, a vertically movable locking pin havinglaterally In testimony whereof l hereunto aiix my signature.

ONESIME H. LE COMPTE.

